IVY PRIZER, a straight A student on the verge of a nervous breakdown, gets rejected from her dream school, Princeton. EZRA, the egotistical but charming salutatorian, and MILES, the all­-star basketball player, team up to show Ivy the fun in high school that she missed out on as she faces BROOKE, a seemingly undeserving candidate who got into Princeton instead.

Interview with Producer Hannah Noel

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Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Our film was made as part of a semester long class at The University of Michigan, and the script was hand chosen from the top screenwriting class by professor Jim Burnstein.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

Have you ever worked so hard for something and didn't get it? Have you ever questioned why you spent your hard work and time on something only to fall short? This film will resonate with anyone who sees it because it's about self-acceptance and the realization that failure is not a bad thing. This film is also not a sob story, but one that instills strength and power in our young female lead.

The Dejects

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Failure and self-acceptance are the two biggest themes in the film. Ivy Prizer fails at getting accepted into her dream college, yet she realizes that college acceptance while very important, does not trump self-acceptance. All of us have experienced Ivy's situation to some extent whether it's with college, a job, or anything else, and the point is that we must learn to grow from that.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?

The script began as a feature length script that Danielle Jacobson wrote, which was later adapted into a 30 minute script in January 2016. We began filming that February.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

We have received get feedback from everyone that has seen it so far! People have found it relatable and love the characters, especially Ivy. People who may not know our crew or about the class in which this was produced may say, "Wow, you're all students and you made this?," which can be nice to hear because we have surprised them with the quality of our work, but at the same time it makes us realize that people have a certain idea of what a "student film" will look like, aesthetically, and we have tried to break that.

The Dejects

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

Many people seem to resonate with Ivy Prizer, which is no surprise because her situation is relatable to many. One of the most surprising things is all the positive feedback that we've received about the film as a whole which makes all of our crew even more proud to have produced something that so many have enjoyed.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

Mainly, we want exposure because all of us are incredibly proud of the work we put into The Dejects. We also want to showcase women talent in film because almost all the major positions on our crew were headed by young, powerful and talented women!

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

Film festival directors and journalists.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

All types, positive, negative, critical, analytical. The best way for us to grow as filmmakers is to receive as much feedback as possible and of different types so that we can take it and learn from it.

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

IVY PRIZER, a straight A student on the verge of a nervous breakdown, gets rejected from her dream school, Princeton. EZRA, the egotistical but charming salutatorian, and MILES, the all­-star basketball player, team up to show Ivy the fun in high school that she missed out on as she faces BROOKE, a seemingly undeserving candidate who got into Princeton instead.

CLAUDIA FUENTES is a recent graduate of University of Michigan's Film Department. As a Colombian-American, she aspires to create impactful films for Latin-American audiences

EMILY BROWNING is a senior majoring in Screen Arts and Cultures. She is a member of M-agination films, the women’s varsity water polo team, and the Ross School of Business sales track program

HANNAH NOEL is a senior at The University of Michigan majoring with BA in Screen Arts and Cultures, and a minor in Community Action and Social Change. In July 0f 2016, she traveled to Jocotenango, Guatemala where she was the cinematographer on a short documentary.